Two months ago today I joined the Liberal Democrats amongst the peak of political campaigning for the general election (the first in which I was able to vote). Before this year I had seen myself as someone more on the right when it came to business and the economy but also felt strongly in favour of civil liberties.
As someone who has grown up in a Conservative stronghold in the South, and only really came to better understand politics under the Coalition government, I had always seen the Tories as the better choice out of the two major parties. Until the referendum last year, I was probably well on the route to putting a cross in the box next to Conservatives, not out of total agreement with Tory policies but seeing it as the lesser of two evils. When I found out the result of the referendum early the next morning, followed quickly by the news of David Cameron’s resignation, after the initial anger, confusion and disbelief, it left me reflecting on my own political stand point.
It emerged Theresa May would take over as Conservative leader several weeks later and earlier this year a general election was called for June. In the time from the Brexit result to the election being called, I found myself unable to be supportive of the Conservatives who had done nothing but shift rightwards on the political spectrum and witnessed a Labour party move much closer to its socialist roots. I was left unsatisfied with what the two major parties were offering, and so I looked elsewhere for inspiration.
I was always well aware of the Lib Dems and always saw them as a major political player, however refreshed leadership in the form of Tim Farron and my increasing desire to find a party that better represented my values made me hear them out properly and really inspect the manifesto. I was left impressed with the ‘common-sense’ approach of the party and the fact that they seemed to be genuinely passionate about standing up for people’s rights, securing equal opportunities and being pro EU all while taking a positive and sensible approach to the economy.
During the two months I have been a member, I have felt nothing but welcome. I was quickly welcomed by my regional and local Lib Dems and regularly receive details of meet-ups and local campaigns. I have helped deliver leaflets and spread the message of the party with a renewed pride in the politics I am a part of. I am very happy that I decided to join and just wish I had listened to the Lib Dem message sooner. Even if any vote other than Tory is a protest vote in my constituency, I found myself crossing the box of the party with pride, not because they were the least offensive but because I truly related to their vision.
I am looking forward to what the future holds under Vince Cable and hope that the party gets back the vote share and seats it deserves.
* Luke Reading joined the Lib Dems in May because of support for the party ideals and rejection of populist politics. He is currently studying at The University of Portsmouth.
Follow @libdemvoice.org on Bluesky
Like us on Facebook
Subscribe to our feed
Sign-up for our daily email digest
Michael Meadowcroft: A Liberal of Intellectual Rigour and Uncommon Integrity
Debt-ridden graduates claim they are seen as cash cows
Why non-fiction books need their indexes
Changes in status: Local Elections wrap up
paul barker
Peter Chambers
Mark Valladares
Mark Smulian
Geoff Reid
38 Comments
Welcome Luke 🙂
I joined last year. The EU referendum result was the final straw, but the IP Bill already had me looking towards the Lib Dems. I’ve also had a great experience in the last year: the local party are a great bunch, and it’s being refreshing to belong to a group who have such differing views, all under the umbrella of liberalism, but are capable of discussing the issues that face the country and the world sensibly and respectfully. Contrast to my experiences with other parties, where differences are not embraced so happily.
To LDV…Is there an ‘agenda’? Two of the last three posts are from ‘defecting’ Tories…One from an fervent fan of Thatcherism and another who appears to be Tory in everything but ‘hard’ Brexit…
Welcome , to Luke, and John above describes us well.
It is a shame that a few are so shocked in the site , that some are supposedly joining with views they perceive as different in ways they feel unable to accomodate.
All parties have various wings. I increasingly read comments by ex or fed up , members of longstanding , who seem to think there was or is a Holy Grail of the True philosophy somewhere, perhaps like Caron , the editor , they are too keen on Harry Potter , that unlike her, they seem to only accept the article of faith , or , book as written, above all things !
All parties need strong debate.
The alternative is illiberal and undemocratic.
It is called dictatorship.
Thanks for your welcome John and Lorenzo!
One aspect of the Lib Dems I have really enjoyed since joining is the discussion and debate that takes place between members regardless of where they stand on the political spectrum or what their background might be. It is refreshing to see and something that is vital for effective politics.
@ Lorenzo So are you saying that anything goes, Lorenzo, and that we should become some sort of wishy washy mushy blancmange of a party with no principles ? Would you encourage, let’s say, Nigel Farage to join the party because we would all then be able to have a backslapping beer with him at the Glee Club ?
Using the word ‘dictatorship’ is over the top. A polite pragmatic caution of Greeks bearing gifts is a more realistic approach.
Lorenzo Cherin
What you are saying is nonsense and offensive to those of us who are unhappy about the way our party is going.
If our party was going that way, and getting increased support for doing so, we might still be unhappy, but we would have to admit it was working. But it is not working. This shift to the right in our party, so energetically pushed as the path to success by Clegg and his close comrades when he came to power, has not brought in many more voters as they have claimed, it has lost us most of our support.
And you think that those of us who predicted that would happen and have been proved correct should just shut up instead of saying so?
Well, what we are seeing here is that it is resulting in new members being recruited. Ok, perhaps that will eventually result in the party succeeding. But it will mean the party is no longer the party I joined. It will have shifted so far from the party I joined that it is more like the party that I most opposed when I first became involved in politics.
In the long run, yes, it is a democratic party, and people have a right to join it and change it. I’m not saying, as you falsely claim, that everyone in the party must have exactly the same views as I have. Of course there must be a variety of views, and discussion between people holding different views. However, if the balance of opinion changes so much in the party that most people in it stand for an approach that is very different from mine, why should I stay in it? People who think the party they joined is no longer a party that stands for their sort of politics have the right to leave it.
It looks to me like a very clear message is now being put across by Liberal Democrat Voice – that we have shifted very greatly in our position by taking on a large number of new members who were once keen supporters of the Conservative Party and whose political views haven’t changed much. They are joining us because they believe we now stand for what the Conservative Party used to stand for.
Well, ok, but since one of the main reasons I joined the Liberal Party and stayed in its successor was because I believed it was the most effective opposition to the Conservative Party, why should I now stay a member of it when it has morphed into being what the Conservative Party was back then? In fact, quite a bit more right-wing in economic terms than the Conservative Party was back in the 1970s when I first joined the Liberal Party.
Personally I welcome anyone who joins us. We need them all. Perhaps there is an imbalance over past loyalties. Isn’t this to be expected when we have an unpopular Tory govt and a seemingly popular opposition? When Blair took us into Iraq we had a lot of ex Labour people joining us. So what? What we need to do is show our newbies what liberalism means in practice and that means creating a welcoming and inclusive environment.
@ Messrs. Raw and Huntbach: very well said.
Welcome Luke. It’s always to good to here from new members about their positive experience of joining us.
I suspect the recent converts from the Conservative members or supporters are the beginning of a greater realignment. There are is no doubt that both Conservative and Labour Parties have been largely taken over by their respective extreme wings, leaving many more moderate people feeling out of sorts. It seems harder for Labour folk to make the jump at the moment (especially given the levels of denial about Corbyn’s Brexit credentials), but I think we will see more members joining us from both parties. Some of the moderates in both will find us a natural home, although not all will and many moderates may choose to stay in their current homes.
All are welcome who embrace Liberalism and our inheritance of Social Democracy from the SDP. If you believe in our Party’s creed then you are one of us – no matter what your background.
This particular OP hasn’t told us a great deal about his basic political stance other than that he prefers the Tories to Labour, and the Lib Dems to both. Well, I don’t prefer the Toriers to Labour, and nor (I suspect) do expats or Matthew Huntbach. However, the polls regularly tell us that our voters would split roughly 50/50 between the Tories and Labour, if they had to make a second-preference vote. It follows that we can hardly go out of our way to make ex-Tories unwelcome.
That said, we should be wary of the backwash when the Tory Party is demoralised and in disarray, while Labour is buoyed up by the unexpected discovery that Jeremy Corbyn is good at campaigning (if, sadly, not much else!) The risk is that a preponderance of right-wing people will feel themselves politically homeless, cast around for a new home, and settle on us. The risk is that a preponderance of their moderately left-wing counterparts will stay put in the Labour Party, whether out of inertia, or a forlorn hope that they might oust Corbyn, or a forlorn hope that Corbyn might cope sort-of-ok if he was put in charge of government.
This risks driving our party back toward the disaster of Cleggism, just when Tim Farron had done so much to bring us back toward our centre-left roots. In those terms, I do share Matthew Huntbach’s concerns. The response should be, not to turn people away, but also, not to be swayed by them into changing our position. I’m encouraged to see Vince talking about strong Lib Dem policies, for example on property and land taxation as well as on Brexit, which clearly differ from Conservative policy. That is what he needs to do.
Luke, you are very welcome. It is no surprise if intelligent people from either of the major parties have realised in the last year that we are the wiser option, and I am glad that you have found congenial company in your constituency.
I suppose at this time it is more likely that ex-Tories are openly declaring for us than ex-Labour people, because the Tories are now in disarray in the government, while Labour sympathisers after a turbulent year will be feeling the need to unite in opposition, or at least to stay quiet. But, Lorenzo, I am surprised at your comment, and have to agree with David Raw and Matthew Huntbach above (as so often!) in theirs.
Matthew, hang on in there, as I shall do. The complexion of the party hasn’t suddenly changed, we aren’t going to be Tory-lite stooges any more. Remember how many new members we have acquired out of admiration for Tim Farron, whose passionate support for individual people and for the least fortunate, whether young people likely to be denied their freedom and chance to flourish in Europe or refugees from war-zones stuck now in a perpetual non-life, was enthusiastically backed by the party. We are not backward in caring for people, and will continue to care and to serve – and to oppose the Tory predators.
David Raw and Mathew Huntbach
Why don’t you read what is written then comment instead of make up what you think I say !
I am of the view , and as a social Liberal and social democrat who unlike you both , was a member of the Labour party , that we welcome debate and discussion.
Of course we can prefer left or right , that is fine, but to judge someone by a single , often well thought through and well meant article , is not what I believe is a liberal or democratic response.
Even socialist ideas are broad , when in that party I welcomed a range of views.
It is dictatorships , I am saying , do not have that approach, we must welcome , as part of being in a society with the freedom to join a party.
As far as welcoming all and sundry, yes, and no.
I would not welcome anyone from the BNP .
UKIP contain some libertarians , some populists, who , if they changed their mind, I would welcome, as I would an ex communist , like , say, John Reid , Dennis Healy , or such like !
I think , it is obvious we are not a right wing party, in any way.
The fact we may not be left wing enough for some , means we are where we should be , centre to centre left.
I favour an alliance with Labour not the Conservatives.
Nigel Farage to join us? Save the story for 1/4/2018. He should be grateful that he lives in democracies such as the UK, Germany and the EU. After all the damage he has done to the national and trans-national interest what would happen to him if he lived in Turkey?
Well, really, a few people come on here and say they have joined us after being conservatives and a couple of other people go into a wild hissy fit of indignation.
Well, I am one of those “membership development officers” that has seen a doubling of membership since 2015. I can reassure Matthew and David that the majority of those new members used to vote Labour. Some of them are post-Clegg returners like me. I would say the Party membership is almost certainly a bit more left of centre than it was in 2014, but certainly the way to judge the centre of gravity is not who posts on LDV.
Meanwhile, to our new ex-Tory voters, I say welcome! If you have read the Preamble to our Constitution and are mostly happy with what it says, you will be fine. If you read that and say “hey! I don’t care if people are enslaved by poverty or conformity” then maybe you should look elsewhere!
Expats: No – we do not have an agenda on LDV. We publish posts that are sent to us – the only criteria are that they are clearly written, are polite about others and will be of interest to our readers. So if you want posts on other subjects please write them yourself and send them in.
Welcome Luke! It’s great to hear you’ve joined us and are enjoying campaigning. Long may it continue.
David and Matthew I have some sympathy with what you are feeling. When I first saw the Coalition leaders in the Lib Dems I foolishly thought how good it was that men in suits had seen the light and joined our party. I didn’t realise that they wanted to take the party over and hadn’t really seen the light at all. My only excuse is that I was unwell and not very involved with the party at the time. So I share your suspicion, but feel it only really applies when people talk of Labour or Tory MPs joining, though I’m very reassured by Andrew’s post.
Now we have so many new members we really need discussion opportunities, maybe organised by the regional parties, so that we can all participate in strategy and policy debates. In fact I think there are going to be exactly those opportunities coming up very soon. Let’s make the most of them and convince new members to work from the preamble of our constitution in setting out our stall.
@ Lorenzo Cherin “Why don’t you read what is written then comment instead of make up what you think I say !”
I’m afraid I did read it, Lorenzo. I couldn’t make it up…. by some feat of elastic logic you got to the point of implying that some long standing members were in favour of what you called ‘dictatorship’. Now I’m usually in favour of enjoying your colourful and creative offerings, but you must admit that was a phrase too far this time.
By the way, as someone who went to the same school as Denis Healey, I know having once chatted with him, that his membership of the Communist Party was very short lived when he was a student and war clouds were gathering in Europe. I prefer to remember him with great affection as an old Bradfordian with a down to earth impish sense of humour, a great pianist and photographer, a loving husband of Edna, and as one of the best Prime Ministers we never had. He was a renaissance man. He’d probably say now, with a twinkle in his eye, that he had more common sense than to join the Lib Dems.
Yes, I too welcome Luke and hope he enjoys and makes a good contribution to the party.
Where I am more wary is when individuals who have achieved some sort of prominence in the Tory Party (e.g. introducing Michael Fallon at Tory Conference only nine months ago) suddenly decide to switch horses. I’m curious as to what lay behind it.
@ Sue Sutherland Yes, very much agree with you and also found Andrew’s comments reassuring. What the party should do is to have a rigorous selection process for both Council and Parliamentary candidates to test their liberalism , personal qualities and the loyalty and effort they are willing to put in. The pursuit of ‘paper candidates’ seems to have softened that process. (two more defections in Southport I see).
Polls seem to show that about 5% of voters identify themselves as Liberal Democrats which is much less than those who are Conservative or Labour. It is going to be a mighty task to change that which will not be helped by rejecting anyone who was formerly a supporter of another party and has changed their views or feels that their former party has moved away from them. I have become very pessimistic because many of those who vote now seem to have lost all contact with reality.
Lets stick to principles and policies and not be tempted to personalise things please.
Luke, you are very welcome, and you need to know also what a huge shot in the arm you and all the other newbies have given to us longstanding members (31 years and counting here).
This is not always an easy party to belong to. You will be infuriated at times both by the party itself and by individuals within it. But the rewards are there too, and no party needs its members like we do, just for our very existence.
Thank you all for your comments. It’s great to read different viewpoints and opinions. I hope to support and remain part of the Lib Dems into the future and spread the message of the party.
Mathew Huntbach and David Raw
I have been on the receiving end of several comments from you that are very scathing and have genuinely felt very taken aback, I have told of this and you accepted it, so , as we have understood each other in an honest way, did not think my general point would bother you of all people, as I did not mention you .
If I wanted to insult , and I do not ever on here do that , however we any of us get fed up, you would know it ! I respect your stance , my point on dictatorship is a general one meaning we should be glad we can have these agreements and disagreements.
At no point should you think of withdrawing from the party you have been involved in so many years, based on a mistaken belief it is a hot bed of right wing views, it is most certainly not, if it were even I , who you think as to the right of you by a pace or two, would not be in it but would be in another or none!!
And David, you did not return to the sixties thread comments I made to you on Joan Baez…
Welcome Luke. It gives me great hope for the younger generation when I read comments in your article like “I was left impressed with the ‘common-sense’ approach of the party and the fact that they seemed to be genuinely passionate about standing up for people’s rights, securing equal opportunities and being pro EU all while taking a positive and sensible approach to the economy.”
I too am “… am looking forward to what the future holds under Vince Cable and hope that the party gets back the vote share and seats it deserves.”
@ Lorenzo Was away over the weekend so sorry must have missed it.
Yes, I fell for Joan Baez in a big big way back in 1960 when she was working with The Weavers, dear Pete Seeger and of course Bob Dylan. Lovely Voice…. and the Voice of full citizenship for African Americans (led by Martin Luther King). She’s almost my contemporary older than me by a year – and it did my heart good to see herlooking so well and protesting against Trump in Washington last week.
What I’m afraid you couldn’t experience Lorenzo was how deep radical American music affected us Young Liberals in the UK. We were a pretty passionate lot and there were battles to be won both in Britain and in the world generally. The music spoke for and to us. It was our radical youth and I can and will never forget it. A few of us are left – so please be polite to Tony G. – I know he has a good heart.
You will never know how much the loss of JFK, Martin Luther King and RFK affected us – and of course poor Jo Grimond tragically lost a son just before the 1966 Election and I think it nearly broke him.
Here’s something to remind you of that time, Pete in his 90’s supporting Amnesty International and singing Bob’s song :
Pete Seeger – “Forever Young” – YouTube
Video for pete seeger forever young video▶ 5:20
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ub6opKljD6U
29 Jan 2014 – Uploaded by Amnistía Internacional México
Música: Producción: Martin Lewis & Mark Hudson. Video: Producción de Martin Lewis. Grabación: Jake …
Lorenzo And here’s a special one for you. I was there in the audience (probably out of tune).
Joan Baez – We Shall Overcome (BBC Television Theatre, London …
Video for Joan Baez – We Shall Overcome (BBC Television Theatre, London – June 5, 1965) John1948SevenB 101,672 views▶ 3:51
Welcome to the party, Luke (and John). You haven’t stated which is your Local Party, but if it has always been Conservative it can’t be one of the Portsmouth seats. I really hope you are not studying economics. I hope your values match our values as you state, and you realise we wish to balance freedom, equality and community – equality not just equal opportunities which is a Conservative policy. As Andrew McCaig states we reject conformity and as I would say wish to ensure people do not have their freedom restricted by their economic situation and so we recognise that economic inequalities are barriers to freedom.
Hi Micheal
My local party is the Wokingham Lib Dems and although I did study economics at A-level, I am currently studying Geography at Portsmouth. I understand your desire for new members to understand the values of the Liberal Democrats and I think it is important too.
@ Luke Reading
I think that is even more local to me than Portsmouth. I now understand why you had a welcome from the regional party, which most people don’t (are there two or more than two local party members on the Regional Executive?). Then again if you were active in Portsmouth you would have met the regional chair.
David Raw
I thank you for this very much, it is why , I say we need the debate , whether we always agree or not , we are Liberal friends and liberal in our relations means understanding.You and Mathew , and any more to the left of the tradition, need to see that and stay with it and us .Radicalism can change , maybe some of the youngsters today have radical ways we do not know about, maybe being moderate amidst extremes, is radical now !
When I met Joan Baez, quite recently, she , being well over seventy , and the age of my mother,yet , she was gorgeous, and I told her and she liked it , a really beautiful smile !
As for radical , or , what the word comes from, “roots “, music, I have written a song for Joan Baez to sing , from the American themed, and very social conscience , based, musical ,I am creating and promoting , she was genuine in her telling me how to send it to her, but she is not singing as much , age does effect some things, so , whatever, it was great to meet her !
I got to meet the two other people in the performing arts I admired as much for their humanitarian work as their artistic,
Peter Ustinov, and Richard Attenborough, working briefly with ” Dick ” , “Never Dickie, darling!” Greats !!!
I saw Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan live, and lifelong Democrat Neil Diamond, a terrific man, several times, and he is one of my all time favourites, also he is the same age group as you.
I subscribe online to the JFK library and have a poster of Martin Luther King on my wall, and married an American, originally from NYC, so do get it , more than you know, despite the age gap !
As for Lord G, we bearded men have some things in common, and , that brings up, Pete Seeger, it was he I had in mind welcoming ex- communist , folk, pun intended, who were radical social liberals, too !
Sometimes , and as someone who was not in keeping with the music of my generation or era , but above mine and before it, it is radical to be different , and believe you are right.
That means welcoming difference and not worrying too much too soon.
@ David Raw – thank you so much for allowing me to sing again along with Joan Baez! I too shared the thrilling sense of involvement with that American radical music tradition in my Liberal youth, with Blowing in the wind another seminal one of course. And Lorenzo, how wonderful for you to have met Joan recently – and it was very interesting also to hear a bit about your musical-dramatic work.
David, it is good that we have continued so determined and fully involved, and I appreciate your technical expertise very much too! But one verse of Joan’s We shall overcome suddenly struck me: ‘The truth shall make you free.’ That should be part of our Liberal Democrat commitment to freedom – let us be committed to truth also in a time of grim post-truth, post-fact backwardness. I recommend it to you, Luke, along with this great music that David is instancing here for us.
Thanks, Katharine, much appreciated. We’ve won many battles over the last sixty years but there are still plenty of dragons of poverty, injustice and prejudice to fight and win.
There is something cold and calculating about the supremacy of market forces in the modern world and the party must challenge this. I also remember thr moral quality in Gladstonian Liberalism in the old man’s Midlothian campaign in 1880,
“Remember the rights of the savage as we call him. Remember that … the
sanctity of human life in the hill villages of Afghanistan among the winter
snows, is as inviolable in the eye of Almighty God as can be your own.
Remember that … mutual love is not limited by the shores of this island,
is not limited by the boundaries of Christian civilisation, that it passes
over the whole surface of the earth and embraces the meanest along with the
greatest in its unmeasured scope”.
Keep helping Tim in Westmorland. He’s a good man.
It worries me how so many of these replies are basically “these new tories are not true liberals”. If the fate of the party is to be forever labour light then expect the same results as we have had.
Socialism is a movement I have a lot of respect for and I would generally agree to the policy it largely produces but it is not every liberal. Market liberalism the ideas it generated; the free market and capitalism are liberal ideas. It is our ground we have let the Tories have.
Consider the hated capitalism. Now tell me what economic system has produced more liberal and stable democracy over centuries. Not the feudalism and aristocracy classic liberals replaced and not the socialism that has tried to replace us.
Consider too that Tory and labour cover a huge amount of political ground and we fight over what flavour of liberal is acceptable. The answer is obviously they all are and all should be in this party and all should vote this party naturally.
Furthermore there is currently a great swell on matters such as free speech and internet freedom, two completely liberal subjects we do nothing about.
I guess my point is all liberals are OK and I will work with any liberal to advance our causes and if you can not say that then what are you doing?
Damn that should say social liberalism is a movement I have a lot of respect for.
I have none for socialism.
Also welcome to the party to you both.
Lorenzo Cherin
You and Mathew , and any more to the left of the tradition, need to see that and stay with it and us .
If the party is such that most people in it can’t even understand the points I am making, and I spend all my time getting angry with them trying to explain my position, then there is no point in staying a member.
It didn’t used to be like that in the past. The party has changed a LOT from the one I joined. You cannot force me to stay a member.
I’m glad you got a warm welcome and had other LibDems to meet up with and plan events. I’ve had the opposite. I became a member on 01/07/2017 and have joined LibDemVoice, LD Europe, LD North West, LD Trafford and sent emails to my local party and apart from the welcoming email I’ve had no contact.
I expected to be meeting up at a pub somewhere each someday night for a chat with like minded people but nothing yet. I’ve still got my enthusiasm but I’m wondering if the members around here have lost it. 🙁 Oh Well! I’ll continue on Twitter et al, at home by myself.
Gerald Zuk
Welcome.
As a local constituency membership secretary I can understand why your local party has been quiet during July.
We have had local election campaigns through April/May overlapping with the general election in June. Also a surge in membership numbers over the last two years has made it hard to make personal contact with all our new members if they have not come to local party meetings. Every member is entitled to attend local party Executive Committee meetings which are normally held each month. Being a widespread constituency members can be some way off from a central meeting point and not able to get to meetings after work of course. Emails can be a useful substitute.
Why not consider going to conference if you want total absorbtion in all things Liberal?
Thank you David. Thought of going to conference but my wife wasn’t up for it. It’s not her thing. However, managed to persuade her to go to Chester tomorrow. She will shop and I’ll go and see our leader, Vince Cable. 🙂
@David Raw: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u52Oz-54VYw is more appropriate than Baez, surely.
@David Pocock: ‘Consider the hated capitalism. Now tell me what economic system has produced more liberal and stable democracy over centuries. Not the feudalism and aristocracy classic liberals replaced and not the socialism that has tried to replace us.’
Depends who for and at what point in the development of capitalism surely. The birth and development of capitalism went hand in hand with the growth of the Atlantic slave trade and the contest of Empires. Many more millions died in the Indian famines to help fund the industrialization of Britain than in the famines during Soviet industrialization, roughly the same as the amount which died in Maoist China during its attempt to leap out of agricultural backwardness by its own methods. The redirection of resources from Indian agriculture to help develop British industry and the starvation and disease which followed were explicitly defended in the name of Liberalism: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/978-1-137-59416-7_11
And ‘stable’? Was it Feudalism or Communism to blame for the First World War?